History and Mission

Lex Humana, the journal of the Master of Laws Program at the Catholic University of Petrópolis, was founded in 2009 by Ph.D. Sergio Salles with the aim of publishing high-quality articles resulting from research and investigations in the field of law.

Its mission is to disseminate original research contributing to legal knowledge and national and international scholarly debate through methodological rigor, precise treatment of sources and reasoned argumentation.

The journal has been associated with the Postgraduate Program in Law (PPGD) of the Catholic University of Petrópolis since 2012.

According to the official result of CAPES's Qualis Periodicals 2021-2024, Lex Humana received a A3 grade, achieving its best grade since its inception in 2009.

Aims and Scope

Lex Humana publishes original research across the fields of law, including legal theory and philosophy, constitutional law, human rights, public and private law, international law and comparative legal studies. Contributions may address national or international legal problems, or their relationships, provided that their relevance to legal scholarship is demonstrated.

Interdisciplinary work engaging with philosophy, sociology, history, political science, economics and other fields will be considered when it identifies a clearly defined legal question and makes a substantive contribution to law. The subject, research problem, methodological approach, argument and conclusions must demonstrate that contribution.

The journal welcomes theoretical, doctrinal, historical, comparative and empirical approaches, provided that the methods are appropriate to the research problem and adequately justified. Legal sources, scholarship, case law and data, where relevant to the approach adopted, must be treated accurately and critically.

Initial editorial screening considers originality, legal relevance, argumentative coherence, methodological appropriateness, the quality of sources and references, and compliance with the journal’s guidelines. The presence of social, political or philosophical themes alone, without a demonstrated contribution to legal scholarship, does not establish alignment with the journal’s scope.

The journal accepts articles by authors holding a completed doctorate (PhD) and by doctoral students. Authors without these qualifications may publish in coauthorship with at least one doctorate holder or doctoral student. Every article must therefore include at least one doctorate holder or doctoral student among its authors. Participation by a supervisor is not mandatory in itself; all coauthors must meet the contribution and responsibility criteria set out in the journal’s ethics policy.

Double-anonymous review involves at least two independent reviewers after editorial screening. Similarity reports require contextual human assessment and do not determine automatic rejection. Identities are restricted to the editorial team and are not communicated between authors and reviewers, although they may be inferred. The interval of 30–60 days is an estimate, not a guarantee; seven days is a reference only for simple adjustments. The editor communicates applicable deadlines, considers justified extension requests and decides based on the reports and authors’ responses.

Articles by editors and board members are handled independently, with author recusal from decisions on their own work. Thematic collections follow the same requirements as regular submissions under editorial supervision. Conflicting reports receive reasoned assessment and may require clarification, revisions or an additional report, without automatic voting.

Consult the full peer-review policy.

The journal seeks to broaden the circulation of legal research and international scholarly dialogue. Its records in indexing databases, directories and discovery services are presented on the indexing page, indicating the nature and limits of each record.

The journal has clear guidelines for authors, an online submission system and academic integrity policies. Lex Humana permits responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), including LLMs, as assistance, with disclosure, human verification and responsibility, and protection of confidentiality. GAI cannot be an author or replace intellectual contributions or reviewers’ and editors’ judgment. AI detectors and similarity reports do not constitute standalone proof of misconduct; concerns require contextual human assessment and an opportunity for clarification. Consult the AI/LLM policy, which defines separate rules for authors, reviewers and editors.

High-quality legal research, rigorous peer review and international scholarly dialogue are editorial objectives of Lex Humana. Inclusion and continued coverage in each indexing database depend on its own evaluation procedures; the journal’s confirmed indexations are listed on its indexation page.

Areas of Knowledge - CNPq/Brazil

According to the CNPq table, Lex Humana is linked to the area of social sciences with the following subareas:

6.00.00.00-7 Applied Social Sciences
6.01.00.00-1 Law
6.01.01.00-8 Theory of Law
6.01.01.01-6 General Theory of Law
6.01.01.02-4 General Theory of Procedure
6.01.01.03-2 Theory of the State
6.01.01.04-0 History of Law
6.01.01.05-9 Philosophy of Law
6.01.01.06-7 Legal Logic
6.01.01.075 Legal Sociology
6.01.01.08-3 Legal Anthropology
6.01.02.00-4 Public Law
6.01.02.01-2 Tax Law
6.01.02.02-0 Criminal Law
6.01.02.03-9 Criminal Procedure Law
6.01.02.04-7 Civil Procedure Law
6.01.02.05-5 Constitutional Law
6.01.02.06-3 Administrative Law
6.01.02.07-1 Public International Law
6.01.03.00-0 Private Law
6.01.03.01-9 Civil Law
6.01.03.02-7 Commercial Law
6.01.03.03-5 Labour Law
6.01.03.04-3 Private International Law
6.01.04.00-7 Special Rights

Disclaimer

The Catholic University of Petropolis (UCP), as the publisher of Lex Humana, makes every effort to ensure the publication of quality articles that comply with the policies published herein and the guidelines to authors.

However, the publisher and our agents (including the editor, any member of the editorial staff or editorial board, and any guest editors), and our licensors make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any purpose of the Content.

Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors and are not the views or endorsements of Universidade Católica de Petrópolis (UCP) or its editorial board and staff.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of information and the interpretations presented. Editorial assessment does not dispense with consultation of original sources or independent verification of information used by readers.

UCP as well as its employees or agents of Lex Humana shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, suits, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities of any nature or in any way whatsoever that have been caused directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to, or arising out of the use of the content published.